Iceland Trek 2011

In July 2011, a group of 18 trekkers braved Iceland - the Landmannalaugar route is one of the most actively volcanic areas boasting volcanoes, sheer cliffs, glaciers, waterfalls, steaming lava fields, plunging fjords, boiling mud pools and sprouting geysers.

Many of this dedicated group were part of the 2010 Transylvanian Trek. This experience was so incredible they decided to brave the elements for a second time. Together with some first time trekkers, they trained for months giving up their time and their family to prepare. This trek was a different type of challenge from 2010. The trekkers had to climb up and down undulations, cross freezing, numbing rivers, wade through ice fields, cross high bridges, inch along narrow tracks, cross steep mountain trails and at the end of each day, erect tents to sleep in. The facilities were basic and they had to use outside sinks and coin operated showers and listen to the rain on the tents as they tried to sleep.

The scenery was stunning, picture postcard-like and that you only see in films. The camaraderie that developed over the days was deep and lifelong friendships were formed through laughter, tears and through the agony of the task ahead. Lisa surprised everyone by producing letters from home – a much needed tonic for them all resulting in an emotional response from the whole group.

Aims2Cure are incredibly grateful to all those involved who have shown such commitment, passion and motivation in raising money for our charity. So far, the figure raised is in excess of £40,000 and money is still being collected. This is an incredible achievement and Aims2Cure cannot thank these people enough for everything they have done.

This money will be used to fund research into finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and for The Michele Elster Fund which helps MS sufferers cope with everyday by making their lives a little easier.

Below, some of those inspirational individuals who went on the Iceland Trek have put their feelings down onto paper together with some wonderful pictures.

I signed up to the trek with a fair amount of trepidation. It wasn’t the arduous nature of the trek itself but more the fact that, as a 50 year-old man, I was something of a demographic outlier. In addition to that, I knew very few of my fellow trekkers and I’m normally the shy and retiring type (ahem!) and I was a little... bit concerned at the prospect of spending 5 days with a group of people who I didn’t know and with whom I seemed to have little in common.

I needn’t have worried. The trek itself was a fantastic journey – both in the physical sense and, in my case and I suspect in others too, in a mental sense.

Physically, we all had to work incredibly hard to climb up and down the “undulations” for hours on end, cross freezing cold rivers, wade through ice fields and confront demons in the form of having to cross high bridges and inch along narrow tracks next to a sheer drop (or was that just me?). The compensations came in the form of the ...most stunning scenery that I am ever likely to see, the endorphin bursts as we got to the top of each undulation, the joy of seeing our next camp as it signalled the end of that day’s trek and the feeling of achievement as we climbed on to the coach to head back to Reykjavik.

Mentally, we had to step way outside of our comfort zones. Putting up tents, sleeping in them and putting them down again, the sort of shower and toilet facilities that we have never encountered before, having to do our own washing up, food that we would probably send back if we had been in a restaurant and much much more. The compensations here were the camaraderie, the bonding, the laughter and the growth of friendships that will endure long after I’m able to walk, let alone trek. The absolute highlight for me was when Lisa Simbler announced that she had obtained letters/emails from family members of all of the trekkers – more than a few tears were shed that evening (and not all of them were mine).

Our celebration dinner was memorable as was the drinks session that followed although there is one trekker (ahem!) who can’t seem to remember a great deal about it.

As someone who was outside the Aims2Cure family a week ago, I am now firmly on-board if you’ll have me. In a fight between MS and the Aims2Cure committee, there’s only going to be one winner!

Simon Lawrence

I was one of the 2010 Trekkers who missed out on the opportunity to experience the Icelandic Wilderness due to the ‘E’ Volcano as I like to call it…no not an Electronic one, but one with a name no-one outside of Iceland can pronounce!! So, when the opportunity arose to take this challenge on again, I was up from it right from the word go…after all, it must be easier than Romania.

How I was wrong. We left home at 9:30am and arrived at our first camp site 13 hours later, which included a 4½ hour trip on what can only be described as a 4-Wheel Drive coach – and let me tell you, I don’t think it had suspension!!!

So, tired, weary and shaken like a tube of tomato ketchup, we disembarked the coach to instructions on how to set up a tent….I don’t think any of us had ever seen a tent in real life, let alone set one up and sleep in it! But we all set to it, moved as many of the big stones as we could and the small village of tents was set up in no ...time….before dinner I hasten to add!!

Dinner was lovely bearing in mind it had been cooked in an adjacent tent and it proved to be the last time we ate off truly clean plates as the washing up facilities were…..let’s just say ‘we weren’t in Kansas anymore!’

The following day I awoke after 2 hours of sleep in my first ever night in a tent. It then dawned on me…I have 15 miles to Trek today. And what a day it was – ranging from scenery and landscapes that looked like a painted backdrop on a film set, to hills and mountain trails that so steep that every thought, about every step, had to be taken one by one. At one point it was only the thought of an MS sufferer’s daily agony that spurned me on.

When the never ending ascents seemed to subside and level ground appeared ahead, it was 8km of soft slushy snow at one point one of us sunk to our knees – 8km of this. After this, it was lava fields covered in ash or just simply rocky and uneven – something you don’t want to fall over in ‘cos it would hurt, a lot - trust me, I did!

The thigh high ice cold river crossings send shivers from one end of your body to the other – so cold that it burnt. And the rivers weren’t gentle, they were so fierce we had to cross in 3’s, arms linked to stop us from being swept off our feet.

I could go on about each day, but I’ll just say that we had 3 days of facing up to challenges we have never faced before - some of us facing up to fears that have lasted a lifetime...twice, thanks to Volcanic activity from Katla that had caused major floods in Southern Iceland and rivers to rise 6ft in 8 minutes in exactly the area we were headed.

Katla rumbled, Katla melted the Glacier and Katla made us turn back on the last day for safety reasons, but Katla never stopped our ‘family of Aims2Cure Trekkers’.

Darren Reuben

We returned Sunday night from one of the hardest things any of us have ever done.
We trekked over the most beautiful but yet ugliest terrain, ranging from snow fields with Ice Caves carved into the mountainside, onto flat soft lava dust then onto something that resembled the surface of the Moon with large rocks! The Glacial River crossings froze your legs from the cold icy water, the water falls were stunning. Camping was interesting!! Listening to the rain on canvas while sleeping in a bag shaped like a coffin! Showering was even more interesting - not everyone obliged, the wet wipes were very handy! Katla, the largest volcanco on Iceland, thought it would start to activate, which is why we had to turn back to where we had come from to be evacuated as Charity Challenge terminated our trek for safety reasons. There were too many highs to mention and a few lows and the aches will start to fade soon but the memories will be with me forever.

Tracey Altman

I have just returned from trekking in Iceland, it was the hardest challenge I have ever done, trekking through snow fields, freezing river crossings, absailing, climbing up and then down difficult terrain. Pitching up and sleeping in tents in the rain - lots of laughter and some tears BUT the best experience and adventure with an amazing group of people who have made this challenge something i’ll never forget.

Suzanne Sugarman

I thought I would write down a little bit about our incredible experience. I have shared the last 5 days and nights with 18 of the most fantastic people. We have walked relentlessly over some of the roughest terrain possible, lava fields layered with thick snow, river crossings to your thighs which were so cold your legs went numb, up hills and down mountains. We absailed down a rockface and crossed rickety bridges. We have showered (not daily) in coin operated showers that lasted 3 minutes and stunk of sulphur, we have brushed our teeth outside in metal sinks, we have slept in 2 man tents that you could only lie down in and on gravel and lava ash not grass and in the rain for 2 of those nights.

Finally we were caught up on Saturday in a Lock down of the mountains whilst Katla the largest volcanco in Iceland beneath a Glacier thought it would like to activate. The Glacier melting, melted 80km square of water in a very short space of time sending the water South of the Glacier flooding the roads and rivers 8metres in 6 minutes. We were walking straight into it!! Only 1.5 hours into our day which had been mostly downhill and we were turned back only to have to do the same thing backwards, climbing back up ropes and mountains. However we have laughed constantly, cried on occasions and had the best experience of our lives. Thank you to my fellow trekkers for this last 5 days, my memories will stay with me forever. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me. Roll on next year!!! Where are we going?? Love u all x

Michelle Stafford

Having just returned from possibly the hardest five days of my life I thought I would share with you some of my memories. Firstly a team of people that were incredible in every sense of the word. Friends I have made for life and with whom our experience will never be forgotten. The trek was challenging in every way from walking ove...r the hardest terrains to crossing the coldest rivers where you actually felt your legs go numb. To pitching your own tents, taking them down again, brushing your teeth at an outside sink, showering and using toilets that were truly very basic. But I can honestly say that we laughed and together we all achieved our goals. I am proud and feel privileged to have shared this amazing experience with my friends and in doing so raised a great deal of money for a very worthwhile cause.

Stephanie Reid